Apparatus for treating wooden blocks.



B. CARD & P. MvARDLB.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING WOODEN BLOCKS.

AFIL'IUATION FILED AUG15.1913.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

2 SHBETS8HEET l.

JoJ'ep/Z 25. Card J. B. CARD &'P. MCARDLE.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING WOODEN BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15, 1913.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

Q 2 BHEETS-SHEET 2.

3mm Joaeph B. CWCZ V i 'rcznia 'JWcfiraZZa 74% 62mm JOSEPH B. CARD, OFHIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS, AND FRANK McAB-DLE, 0F TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING WOODEN BLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

Application filed August 15, 1913. Serial No. 785,010.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH B. CARD and FRANK MoAnnLE, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Highland Park and Terre Haute. respectively,in the counties of Lake and Vigo, respectively, and States of Illinoisand Indiana, respectively, have invent ed new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Treating Wooden Blocks, of which the following is aspecification.

The general object of the invention is to effect the transfer ofimpregnated material, such as wood, from the treating tank to areceptacle, such as a car, in a s1mple, effective and expeditiousmanner. And to this end the invention resides in the light of animprovement on apparatus for. treating wooden blocks as set forth inLetters-Patent of the United States, granted to use Feb. 28th, 1911, andnumbered 985,392. In that patent the apparatus included a treating tankand a conveyer located directly below the treating tank and extended atone end so as to move the material deposited thereon from the tank, intoa car disposed at a pointlaterally beyond the tank. With the presentinvention the conveyer mechanism is eliminated and the tank itselfadapted for deliverin its contents directly into a car disposedbeyo ndone side of the tank.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodimentof our invention of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to t e accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevationpartly in section of the tank and itssupport. Fig. 2 is a detail plan of the tank. Fig. 3 is a detailhorizontal section taken through the lower portion of the tank andthrough one of the upright supports for the same. Fig. 4 1s a detailfront elevation of the outlet end portion of the tank.

The tank a which forms one of the subjects of the present invention, isformed of metal and herein shown as positioned upright and supported bya frame made up of the uprights The upper end portion 6 of the tank hasan inlet opening which is positioned with such relation to one end of aconveyer mechanism 1) as to receive the material discharged from thechute 7 of the conveyer. The conveyer b extends from a point where thematerial is prepared ing blocks and upon directing a quantity of theseinto the tank a and sealing with the covers or closures 8 and 9, theinlet and outlet openings respectively, of the tank, the

contents of the tank are then treated in accordance with any of thewell-known processes employed for impregnating wood. For

purpose of illustration we have shown the tank adapted for use with aprocess, which,

broadly stated, consists in first softening the blocks then creating avacuum in the tank and finally introducing the impregnating ifiuid intothe tank and circulating the sametherein'at a substantially constantheat and under-pressure.

Referring now to the drawings, 10, 11, and 12 indicatefragments ofconveyors in the form of pipes and connected to the tank. It

will, of course, be understood that in so far as the purpose of ourpresent invention is concerned, the dispositions of these pipes or theirpoints of connection to the tank, are

immaterial. The pipe 10 is adapted to function as a drain and is alsoconnected to the pipe 12', the connection to the latter pipe being madethrough a compressor and a heating chamber (not shown). The pipe 10 isalso connected to a vacuum pump and the pipe 11 is connected to a sourceof steam supply. It will, of course, be understood that these pipes areprovided with the usual valve fittmgs for controlling passage throughthe pipes. Upon introducing steam into the tank through the pipe 11, forinstance, the valves in the other pipes are closed until such time asthe steam has effected the softening of the blocks. This done, thesupply of steam is cut off and a valve (not shown) in the pipe 10 openedto permit the steam to escape. Upon closing the last-named valve thevacuum pump (not shown) is started and the controlling device (notshown) between the said pump and the tank, operated to render the vacuumpump effective in creating the desired percentage of vacuum in the tankand in the blocks therein. The preservative fluid is then forced intothe tank under compression through the pipe 10, (the passage throughpipe 11 being effective and expeditious first cut off) and the valve(not shown) in the pipe 12' opened. It will be observed that the pointof connection of the pipe 12 to the tank a is such that the imprenating. fluid after rising above the level of t e contained blocks, willfind anoutlet through the said pipe 12 and thus be prevented fromentering; the other pipes. of thesystem -lo-- cated in the upper endportion ofthe tank. The provision of the heat drum (not shown) and itsconnection with the ipes 10.and l2, eflects the'circulation of 't eimpregnating fluid through the tank and ,maintains such fluid at aconstant temperature, orfl s ntially so. After the treatment iscompleted air pressure from' the compressor (not shown) is introducedintothe tank throu h the pipe 12, and the fluid remainingin tie tank isdischarged through pi e-lO. 1 Upon removal of the mpregnating tlhidiromthe tank the Jaassages through pipes 10 and 12 are close and the valvein pipe 10 opened topermit the escape of the compressed air.

By virtue of the disposition of theftank and the outlet openin thereofgravity will readily influence the. b ocks to pass from the tankthroughthe outlet opening upon-- the removal of'the closure 9 thereof;Now,- when the position of the outlet end of the tank b'ear'sla certainrelation tothe usual'rece tacle into which the'treated blocksare to: eultimately deposited, and the said lower end portion of the tank soconstructed as to offer no impediment to. the movement of the blockstoward the outletopening, when the cover ,9 thereof is removed, wefindthat the discharging of the, tank and the loading ofjthe receptaclemay be had by the -action.of gravity alone. Ob; viously from astandpoint of economy, the, construction andthe dispositionof the tankare essential.

A convenient structure, whereby, the fore;

, going results may be obtained,- -resides in ar-:

ranging track rails 13 -13 relatively close to oneside of thesupporting. frame for the tank a andas will be observed by referring toF 1'and2, we position the tank so that its lower end will be above thecar 12 and form this lower end so as to direct all the;

material passing thereinto through the out-L let or discharge passage14, which passage is disposed soasto direct the material directly. intothefcar; The said lower end portion of the tank'is herein shown asconforming in contour to the-frustum of an oblique cone and'thefldischarge passage 14 extended to a point beyond theverticalplaneof the eylini (lliCul p'ortion' of the tank and directedobliquely down-ward, whereby,to offer a mini mum of resistance to theblocks moving in a obvious arrangements.

quired or as may he demanded with other Obviously the shape of theportion 16 might be other than frustaconical, for instance, curved orfrustapyramidal, and still function as the structure shown.

In the present instance, the tank is shown connected to the supportingframe by rivets 17 and the said frame strengthened by the presence oftruss-bars 18. A flange 19 surrounds theoutlet passage 14 and forms abearing for the closure 9 which latter is suitably adapted, such as bythe presence of a circular rib 29 which cooperates with a circulargroove in theflange 19, to hermetically seal the outlet passage whenpositioned, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Here it will be observed thatthe closure 9 is connected to the tank by a hinge 21 and the saidclosure plate when in closed position, is locked by suitable fasteningmeans, as clam bolts 22 arranged in recesses 23. Like tie closure plate9, the plate 8 is connected by a hinge 24 to the upper portion 25 of thetank and is suitably adapted when closed, to seal hermetically the inletopening of the tank.

- -What' is claimed as new is 1. In an apparatus for treating woodenblocks, a'treating tank having an imperfoforate bottom inclininglaterally and down-. wardly from one side of thetank to the other, adischarge spout having its bottom wall alined with the bottom -of thetank and its free-edge disposed as an entirety beyond the adjacentvertical wall of the tank, and

means opening into the tank at remotely located points for maintainingapirculation of the treating medium. i

2. In an apparatus for treating wooden blocks, the combination --of atreating tank having an imperforate bottom inclining laterally anddownwardly throughout its surface, a discharge; spout having its bottomwall alined with the bottom of the tank and its free edge dis sed as anentirety beyond the adjacent vertical wall of the tank, circu-.latorymeans-opening into the tank at remotely" located points, andconveyer mechanism for delivering material to thetank remote from theinclined bottom thereof.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH B. CARD. FRANK MOARDLE. \Vitnesses:

HARLAN A. Pnrrcnn'rr,

HERBERT C. ANDERSON.

